Storm-top for vehicles.



I 'N 830,664 PATENTED SEPT. 11', 1906 W. A. HUNTER.

STORM TOP FOR VEHICLES.

AIPLIGATION'IILED NOV. 24. 1905.

3 SHEETS-8HEET 1.

PATENTED SEPT. 11, 1906 w. A. HUNTER.

STORM TOP FOR VEHICLES.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 24. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

NO- 830,664. PATENTED SEPT 11. 1906 W. A. HUNTER. STORM TOP FOR VEHICLES. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 24. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEETS mth' curtains-to inclos'e the sidentranjces. f-These" involve dilficulties in-cons'tructionand mr these storm fron't that connections are simple and' gplie-d over the front of the v I amatter' mechanically diflic tto ma an main as a shield against "UNITED STATES PATENT oFFion; 1

WILLIAM A; HUNTER, on TERRE, HAUTE, INDIANA steam-Top FOB VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1906.

Application filed November 24, 1905. eash a. 288,985;

l o d whom it may concern L Be it known that I, WILLIAMA; HUNTER, a OItlZQD'Of the United and useful Improvements i ftioh. My invention hereinafter set forth '1 'ela tes @to'storm topsand'fronts for vehiclesl':

1 Prior to as occasion may require,' and provided 'f'ap'plication and defects in operation;

have aimed to avoid durable, to make the veclosed carriage, to make it available for use as a covered carriage, both in storm or sun- "jsh'ine, and also to provide so that it may be readily made available as an open carriage. To secure these ends in the old way, usually t e carriage-top is made collapsible, so that it jjnay be thrown back, and thestorm-frontis ordinary to of ecariia e, accomplish andalways Enction of the front'ancl top. 4

the vehicle hereinafter describedl have 9? Sh wn an entirely-removable top so con- "stru'c'te'dand combined with the body that it .bere'moved without removing the seat "so constructed and combined with the secure and so that the front may be removed with the side curtains and theytop may rethe heat of the sun,

tion and the most durable all the necessary conditions are provided for.

. My invention also includes some details of construction,- all of which are hereinafter ex- Plained in connection with-the accompany- In theacco-mpanyingdra ingsrigqi is a perspective View with the removable rail fraised, ,hou'singi' ig. 4 isa detail perspective view Fi .5 isa detail view, lookin at; the insi e of t the Si S tates,.residing at Terre "Haiite, Indiana, have invented certain new n Storm-Tops for 'iYehicles, of which the-following is a speeifica i thestorm frontf- I my invention fronts been pro -i 'vid'ed applicable to and remevable from the defective at jthe: line einvention'appliedthereto,' ig. 2-is.

is a; detailview of the curtaim e5Storm-t0p, with: e curtain partly rolled up. Fig. 6 is adetail sectional viewin plan of the side'curtain. extended and joined 'to the post of the storm top', parts being in section. detail sectional plan view similar with the side. curtain partly rolled L8; 9', andlO are detailfron tviews Figs. l-l-and 12 are detail views of the rear making the same secure. Figgl'lg. is a detail vievv-ot the b ent -upper and lower ends of the Wireof the side" curtain;

seat, flaring outwardly, turned ends forming vided' with holes fitted to receive the downwardly-projecting bolt extensions 5 of the.

' with horizontallynumber and location to the number offth e lugs 4 and are-threaded to receive the nut 8, whereby the railmay be securely clamped to the lugs as so fixed uponthe seat. j j The top 10 and its forwardly-extending portion 11, which projects over the front panel of the body, is formed with light but strong bent frames The rail 6;,heret0for'e' described] and fixedtb the seat, is shaped to conform to the lower r'edge ofjthe main portion 10 of the top and approximately at least to the seat and is provided with extended rejections 8, to which arise of the part 10 of the top. The rail is permanently secured to these standards, but may be removedwi'th,. the topbyr releasin the nuts on the projections '5, projection 11, which portion of the body (an'd this is also a permanent rigid part 0f,.f the"' top)' is strong enou h andrlgld e'nough to"sustainitselfiniuse wit out, any front su ort. In... this f extended endjof tlijeltop atia point under-, neathjth e hoodedend thereof, is connected a storm-front 12, which is also connected at its lowerend to the front; of the body and when vehicle.

curtain and the means for 4 lugs 4, which are pro are secured the vertical standards 9 of the. and thus by the simplest possible construcfr The, forwar extends over the front 7is a. to Fig.

16g relatingto Fig; 14 is a rear view; of. the bodywiththe storm-top in place.

In the form -and there are iron standards 3 secured to the rail 6. These extensions, 5 correspond in and is rigid throughout and is providedwith any suitable covering.

orwardly mu'place forms a partj ofthe general frame- I workof the top andfcover's the front of the i i to 45 used inleasant weather, when shelter 15 de- V -60 ally.drawn back and wound snugly upon. the

In order to conform to the construction of my removable top and the general plan and scope of its use, I make'this storm-front detac 5 top. With my invention, however, it is not necessar to have a part of the body removable an replaceable, and while in the'presjent instance I describe the use of a remov able dash I do not limit myself in this respect.

I The dash; is made removable, because it is of 'qnoInse'whenmy stdr1n-top is used, as said storm-top has a portion 12 which performs all the functions of the dash. In the construction illustrated it is necessary only to re I5 move the front fender or dasher of the body whenthe' storm-front is to be used, the lower end of the front 12 being removablybolted directly to the front of the body,-a'very sim ple matter and easily done. v v .The "onstruction is shown in'Fig; 4, in which the cross-bar of the front 12,- fixed to this lower edge, is secured to-the corner-posts of the body-front by bolts, as indicated at 13;

- Inorder to form'asecure and light connecz 5 tion between the upper end of the front and I the front endof the top; I fit the upper end of the front against the cross-bar part of the frame of the top, as indicated at 25. The

. up er cross bar of the frame is marked 26,

an it is doweled u on the bar 25 abuttin r p tightly, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The

, against it from underneath, and is connects by metal straps 27, bolted to both bars- The dowels and the straps form a very light 0011- nection absolutel secure against rattling or looseness; It is etter to fix the dowel-pins in the upper'edge-of the front and to'have the holes in .the lower face of the bar-"25. The upipser jointis covered securelyby the hood. hereinafter-moreparticularly explained, 40" the g'storm front carries the's idec'urtains' for closingjthe side openings in the top, and these-are'conse uentlyjremoved from the'ye-' hicle-whd'the ont is taken out. As a re- .sult ofgithis construction if the carriage be siredhi ,y-from the rays of the sun, the front I maybe entirely removed both from the top and from the body, carrying with it also the curtains, which are not needed and which s funder such circumstances it is not desirable t carryjon the top' or upon the carria e. These side curtains are formed of fiexi'le material suited to exclude the wind or'rain and are carriedupon rollers 15, mounted within thecorner-recess of the side posts of the frame of the storm-front. The rollers are'provided with the ordinary springs and without ratchet/s, so thatwhen the rear edge of thecurtain' 16 is relcased'it is automaticroller. The construction permits the curtains to extend upward above the lower edge of the top, Fig. 5, and,downward below the upper edge of the body. At the upper edge it laps within and at the lowcr edge it laps able both from the body and from-the place. -tually and economically, lproviue the rear "edge with a channel-shaped reinforcement 20, preferably formed of sheet metal slightly outside, thus providing a closure which will exclude-'theweather both at its upper and its lower edge.

, ,The front edge 19* of the side wall of the top is substantially vertical, and the rear edge of the curtain conforms thereto, so that the entrance to the carriage is substantially rectangular, which'is the most favorable for ingress or egress. The most diflieult'part of these carriage-tops to make tight is this rear edge of the curtain, and in order to effect this I have devised'a special construction. .(Shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 of the drawings.) Several oints require consideration in this jomt. It

1s necessary that the curtain should be uickly and readily attached or detached,

t at the rear edge of the curtain should be 5 rigid, and that it should be made to conform to the rear edgeof the entrance, and, further, that itshould inclose the rear edge from the outside at least in order to exclude wind or rain, and that-it should be securely held in To accomplish. these results effecflaring and adapted'to fit snugly. over the 3 front standard-19 of the top'frame. The front edge of this standard is shaped to corre spond to the channel, into .wluchit fits channel-piece 20 is straight and is in extent only equal to the length of the vertical post 19 exposed to the edge; but as the lower part of thexdurtain' must conform to the tapered or contracted lower part of the bodyand' as the upper part, of the curtain extends under.

'neath the top coveringthe chaimel part can- 'not support either the upper or the lower ed eof thejdoor-curtains. I therefore iprovi e a. supplementary reinforcement consisting of a piece of wire 32, preferably of material which maybe bent, to conform to any shape desirable for it to assume and to remain in the position into which it is'bent. This wire is sewed int'o the rear ed e of the curtain code, and it is 'connecte to the channel ar by means of a metal flange thereon, (marked 33.) The upper end of the wire may be bent, as shown in Fig. 13, to deflectit at the top or at-the bottom to conform..to the shape of the body, which, as shown in Fig. 14, is ta ered downwardly.

The channel-piece 2% is provided with an opening 34, adaptedto engage a stud 35 on the-standard 19. It will be observed that the wire may. be stitched into the edge of the cloth and afterward inserted under the flange .33 of the channel-piece, and this flange may then be rolled down and thus hold the wire, and with it the edge of the clo th or leather of the curtain, securelyiil piece; The channel-piece is stiff and strong forms a secure joint and thr short projecting endsbf; the wire from IIO . nation with this post. A strip the mate' piece such as the channel-bar wire attached to the edge of the curtain and secured to the said rigid piece with its ends entrance of rain. I

curity to the rear curta1n,-wh1ch is drawn.

, ent of-a their position suffering less strain are sumcient to holdthe upper and lower extremities of the curtain in proper position evenjagainst a strong blast of wind. As the curtain goes with the removable front and stands in a vertical position, it is out of the way when the front is used, and the carriage is free from the front curtain and its attachments when the front is removed.

The construction and arrangement above described, whereby the side curtains are lapped within the cover of thetop at their upper edge, makes themsecure against the In order to give'like sedown, I have provided by anotherdevice 'a lap and like security. This I have shown in] separate views, Figs. 1 1 and 12. In these figures, which illustrate the device applied to the rear curtain, 40 indicates a rear corner-post or back bow. I have formed a la in combitial which composes the cover. of the top (marked 41) has one ed e fixed to the post, so that it forms a narrow ap extending the entire vertical length of the curtain edge. The curtain is shown at 42 (or a 'sufiicient part of it for illustration) and it is secured to the postin the ordinary way, as by means of buttons' 43, fixed in the post. Supposing. the curtain be drawn down and secured by engagement with the buttons, the flap 41 is folded over the edge of it and secured by engagement with the same buttons which pass through the edge of the curtain. In this way the edge is covered and made secure against wind or rain; This construction may be applied wherever there is a post or the equivapost or equivalent firm support, and by post I mean any such firm support Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In combination with the curtain, a rigid 20 attached to the rear edge of the curtain and adapted to be connected with the post and'a; wire secured to the edge of the curtain and connected to the rigid piece, said wire extending be 0nd the ends of the rigid piece, substantial y as described.

2. In combination with the rigid piece, a

rigid part of a carriage-'top,'a

ranged in the described relation to the edge projecting beyond the ends of the rigid piece and adapted to be bent and. to retain, the bent form, substantially as described.

- 3, In combination with the ap as 41, ar-

of the curtain '42, and provided with means, such as buttons, for sec-urin the parts to gether and to" the post or ot er rigid part, substantially as described;

4. Incombination withthe forward exten sio'n of a top having a hcoded end, a storm; front-removably connected tosaid end underneath the hood, said front having its lower 0st or other end -also.reinovabl connected tothe trout 'stantiall y asdescribed. 5. AstorIn-to having a curtain arm ed 1 on an upright ro let, the. free edge oi-whic "is .provided'with a rigid piece and an extension above andbelow the same, the lower exten-' sionheingshapedto conform to-the side of. the body and the upper, portion being bent;

laterally,-substantia 1y asdesc'ribe'd.

6. In combination with a'vehicle-body, a to'p,"curtains carried by vertical rollers on said top, said curtains at their lower portions inclining pered shape of the body, substantiallyas described.

7 In combination with a top, curtains carried b said top, said curtains aving arigid chan nelpiece at the central portionof its free vertical edge to engage part of the top and having extensions conforming to the tapered form of the body,

8. In combination with the top of the vehicle, a curtain on a vertical roller, said curtain having a rigid piece at its free edge with a laterally-bent extension, substantially as inwardly and conforming to the 138-.-

vehicle-body, a vertical rollers on substantially as described.

having a rigid piece at its free edge with IOO 

